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Rapid extraction of invertebrates from tropical forest litter using modified Winkler apparatus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2014

Eugenia E. Semenina
Affiliation:
A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia
Alexander E. Anichkin
Affiliation:
A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia The Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Centre, Southern Branch, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Oksana L. Shilenkova
Affiliation:
A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia
Sergey G. Ermilov
Affiliation:
Tyumen State University, Semakova Street 10, 625003 Tyumen, Russia
Alexei V. Tiunov*
Affiliation:
A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia
*
1Corresponding author. Email: a_tiunov@mail.ru

Abstract:

The Winkler extractor is widely used for collecting both micro- and macrofauna from large samples of forest litter, but the long period of extraction that it demands and that allows continuous feeding and reproduction of target organisms is a serious drawback when samples are collected for subsequent stable isotope analysis. This problem is exacerbated in a humid tropical climate. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of the modified Winkler apparatus equipped with heating plates placed inside each mesh bag. The study was performed at the end of the wet season in a mature forest and young forest plantation at Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam. The heating plates increased the temperature within the extractors by about 8ºC and accelerated the desiccation of litter in the mesh bags. The extraction speed of macrofauna from the forest litter was strongly increased and the number of mites collected nearly doubled in the modified extractors, though the extraction rates of collembolans were not affected significantly. Overall, our results suggest that the application of heating plates accelerates the extraction process while yielding large quantities of litter-dwelling animals.

Type
Short Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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